week of March 10

The photos above hit some of the highlights of the past few weeks. On the top left, Susan bids good-bye to Father Tony and Lucia after their 2-day visit. We had such a wonderful time showing them around the school. They enjoyed visiting classes and meeting the new freshman group. We look forward to many happy years in partnership with the Episcopal Farmworker's Ministry in Newton Grove.

At top right, you can see a certain mother and son duo (Carrie and Sam) performing at the Cabaret. This year, the Cabaret raised $1800 for our End-of-Year (EOY) service projects for which we are very grateful. As we move through the spring term, EOY groups are actively preparing for their amazing experiences that will occur in El Salvador, Costa Rica, Trinidad, western US, and Appalachia.

Top center is the entire Upper School community. I included this picture because I wanted to tell you about our pancake breakfast, last week. Members of Clerks Committee (our form of student government--all are welcome) planned a surprise pancake breakfast and a few games for everybody. They wanted to build community and lift spirits. They reached their goal! Students were surprised; they ate many pancakes and played some silly games. I hope you heard about this event at your house.

An important double reminder to freshman parents: This Wednesday at 7pm in the Meeting Hall is the freshman parent potluck. It's a time to get to know folks and continue the "Sex, Drugs, and Rock-n-Roll" discussion. On Tuesday, March 18, there is a meeting of freshman parents from 7-8pm in the meeting hall. This meeting with Susan and Tim is about the freshman trip to Newton Grove in May.

STUDENT TEACH-IN AND US STAFF RETREAT: We are very excited about our student teach-in on Wednesday. Juniors and seniors have signed up to teach all classes for that day. John McGovern and two other adults will be on hand in the Upper School, but they will not be in charge. Our students will run school for this day. A student will be sitting at Willy's dest, taking phone messages. Another student will take my place in leading Silent Meeting. On Tuesday, the teachers will meet with their student replacements to discuss their plans for each class. In the past, the student teach-in has been a very positive event. I hope you get some good feedback at home.

In addition to teaching important leadership skills and responsibility, there is another great reason for the student teach-in. Students will allow the staff to have an important retreat day. During the morning, we will be divided into our self-study subgroups: Multiplicity of Cultures, Stewardship, Technology, and Modern Language. Each group will continue their action research project for this year. These studies include blogs and wikis, ways to better teach the oral aspect of foreign language, a newly designed sophomore curriculum, and an environmental studies curriculum. We will meet for lunch at Saladelia. During the afternoon, each group will report to the staff about their progress. You will be hearing more about this important self-study.

Have a great week!